Tag: Thanksgiving

Easy Creamy Mashed Potato Recipe

Easy Creamy Mashed Potato Recipe

You will NEVER make another mashed potato recipe again! This Easy Creamy Mashed Potato Recipe is the BEST on pinterest and the whole world! Simple ingredients that really pack a punch. Bet you can’t guess what the secret ingredient is (hint, it’s what helps this mashed potato recipe be the creamiest!) #mashedpotatorecipe #potatorecipes #thanksgivingsides #thanksgivingrecipes

Check out these other great recipes as well!

Rice Krispie Treat Turkeys

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Pecan Pie Bites

From Scratch Stuffing

Sweet Potato Casserole

We all have that one dish that we’re known for.

You know, the one you have to make EVERY single holiday.

It’s pretty much a given that that dish is yours and yours alone. Every year you make a bit more (because last year there wasn’t enough) and still…every single year you never make enough!

For me…that dish is THIS mashed potato recipe. 

My mashed potato recipe is not complicated.

It is SO simple.

The best dishes always are. 😉

They are not low calorie or low fat either (although, you could make it low fat by using low fat dairy products…but why would you do that?).

These potatoes will stick to you like glue…but it will be worth it.

Now…I never really measure anything in this recipe. I make it to taste, and the amounts can vary each time.

This is pretty consistently my recipe for big gatherings though. When I make them for just the 4 of us, obviously all the ingredients are taken down to portions consistent with a family of 4.

Don’t be fooled by the simplicity of this mashed potato recipe. It might have simple ingredients but it packs a big flavor punch.

Let me know if you try it!

Heather’s Famous Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

  • 5 lb bag of potatoes (I like russet) – peeled, washed, and sliced
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • 1 stick of butter
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • milk (amount will vary)

Directions:

  1. Boil your potatoes in a pot until they are soft
  2. Drain your potatoes
  3. While they are draining, throw your butter and cream cheese into the hot pot you just poured the potatoes out of and let it start to get melty as you drain the potatoes
  4. Put the drained potatoes back in the pot and season liberally with salt and pepper (you can always add more)
  5. Using a hand held mixer (or your Kitchen Aid stand mixer), mix up your potatoes incorporating the cream cheese and butter as you go.
  6. Now add milk slowly, a bit at a time until you get to a creamy (but not wet) consistency. This is usually between 2-4 tablespoons. The milk can make or break this dish! So add little bits at a time because you can always add more, but you can’t take any out.
  7. Taste your potatoes and see if they are flavored well, if not add more salt and/or pepper.

There you have it! Rich, creamy potatoes that everyone will rave over.

You can put this in a crockpot and set it to warm and it will do just fine on your countertop for quite awhile. It stores fairly well too (although I wouldn’t freeze it).

Easy Creamy Mashed Potato Recipe
Ingredients
  • 5 lb bag of potatoes (I like russet) – peeled, washed, and sliced
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • 1 stick of butter
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • milk (amount will vary)
Instructions
  1. Boil your potatoes in a pot until they are soft
  2. Drain your potatoes
  3. While they are draining, throw your butter and cream cheese into the hot pot you just poured the potatoes out of and let it start to get melty as you drain the potatoes
  4. Put the drained potatoes back in the pot and season liberally with salt and pepper (you can always add more)
  5. Using a hand held mixer (I seriously swear by this. I’ve tried mashing, I’ve tried my Kitchen Aid…hand mixer is the way to go), mix up your potatoes incorporating the cream cheese and butter as you go.
  6. Now add milk slowly, a bit at a time until you get to a creamy (but not wet) consistency. This is usually between 2-4 tablespoons. The milk can make or break this dish! So add little bits at a time because you can always add more, but you can’t take any out.
  7. Taste your potatoes and see if they are flavored well, if not add more salt and/or pepper.
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Thanksgiving Leftover Turkey Gravy Soup {Good Cook Leftover Thanksgiving Recipe #62}

Disclaimer: GoodCook sent me a basket of goodies for Thanksgiving that I used to help make this post possible. All opinions are my own.

I’m not a big fan of leftovers. Truthfully, we rarely ever have leftovers, but when we do my husband loves to take them to work and that is just fine by me.

The one time of year I don’t mind leftovers is Thanksgiving. I can eat Thanksgiving leftovers 2-3 times before I get bored (It’s monday after thanksgiving now and I’m just about done, LOL).

Sometimes though, all it takes is repurposing those leftovers to make me excited for them again.

One of my favorite things to do after  eating Thanksgiving dinner, is to make turkey broth with the turkey carcass.

It’s so super simple and it makes a TON of healthy, nutritious bone broth!

That was a good thing this year since all of us ended up sick shortly after Thanksgiving! I had enough to make my family a big pot of soup, and I also gave some to my SIL who has sickness in her household right now as well.

This  year I made my typical traditional turkey soup, with one exception.

My MIL made the world’s most amazing gravy this year. It’s ALWAYS good, but this year it was beyond good. I wanted a creamier soup than broth, so I used some of the gravy (we had a massive amount leftover) to thicken the soup to the consistency I wanted.

It also acted as an amazing flavor base for the soup!

Top your soup with some cranberry and you have a warm comforting bowl of Thanksgiving with very little effort!

We utilized a lot of the goodies given to us by GoodCook during our Thanksgiving dinner. Be sure to check out the GoodCook website for all of your kitchenware needs!

Here’s my basic recipe, but feel free to throw in whatever sounds good to you!

Ingredients:

  • One turkey carcass
  • veggies of your choice (I used carrots, celery and onion) for soup and also for making the broth
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • turkey meat
  • precooked rice (cold)
  • salt & pepper
  • Savory spice mix (I just learned of this mix this year. I found it at Target. It’s my new fave!)
  • Leftover homemade gravy (must have been thickened with flour)

Directions: 

  1. Place your turkey carcass in a big stock pot. I usually add some cut up carrots, celery and onion to this as well. Add in some seasonings to taste.
  2. Let your turkey broth simmer as long as possible (I probably let mine simmer about 8 hours, but should have gone a bit longer). You could even try to do this in a crockpot if your turkey fit.
  3. Strain the solids from your broth. At this point, you can let your broth cool if you intend to store it. Otherwise set aside.
  4. In a deep pot, melt your butter and then sautee your veggies (the diced ones) until they are  softened.
  5. Add as much gravy as you want and create a sort of roux with the veggies and the gravy.
  6. Pour your broth in a bit at a time, stirring to incorporate the gravy.
  7. Let simmer until veggies are soft. Add leftover turkey and cook until heated through.
  8. Place cold rice in bowls and pour soup over the rice.
  9. Top with cranberry sauce if you desire!

It’s a great way to change up the Thanksgiving leftovers, and you should have plenty of turkey broth leftover to make this soup a few times this winter!

Enjoy!

Be sure to check out all these other awesome Thanksgiving leftover recipes as well!



Our Thanksgiving Menu (with Links to Recipes!) With a Message for YOU!

Who is excited for Thanksgiving? I know I am!

This year we are hosting Thanksgiving lunch at our house for my husband’s side of the family (we’ll be going to my side of the family in the evening).

We have a GREAT feast planned!

My SIL’s are both bringing some yummy sides, drinks and desserts and my MIL has been busy in the kitchen all day making the pies, gravy and cranberry sauce (her specialties!).

I wanted to link you to some of the recipes I’ll be dishing up tomorrow. Hopefully you’ve already done your menu/grocery shopping, but if not these recipes are awesome and tried and true!

From Scratch Stuffing

Sweet Potato Casserole

My FAMOUS Mashed Potatoes!

Baked Macaroni and Cheese 

Finally I’ll be using this brine recipe and this turkey recipe (minus the brine). I’ll let you know how it turns out!

We will be using mainly GoodCook items to cook with since GoodCook sent us the most awesome Thanksgiving basket!

Enjoy your feast tomorrow and know that I am so thankful for all of YOU! From the very start, the FFF community has encouraged and inspired me and I wouldn’t be where/who I am today without all of you. So THANK YOU!

May God bless your families as you meet and eat tomorrow in thanksgiving!

40 Amazing Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes

I love Thanksgiving.

It’s an eating holiday (oh yeah, and a time to say what you are thankful for too), and I like eating holidays.

I especially like the desserts!

I’m not often a dessert person. I’ll take a big savory meal over something sweet any day.

Except Thanksgiving! Then I just want it all!

Check out this AMAZING round up of Thanksgiving Desserts!

Might give you some ideas on what to bring to the many Thanksgiving dinners/brunches/lunches/company parties you will be attending this year!

If you make any of these, be sure to come back and let me know what you think!

Cheesy Ground Beef Bean Dip-Perfect Appetizer for the Holidays!

Need a tasty appetizer or dip for your Thanksgiving Feast, Holiday dinner, Labor Day Pool Party or just because it’s Monday 😉 ?

This stuff is da bomb!

It’s super easy to make, doesn’t require a ton of ingredients and best of all…it has CHEESE (and lots of it) so you KNOW you can’t go wrong.

It also makes a TON of dip, so you won’t have to worry about running out.

I would bet that you could likely make this in the crockpot as well. If you try it in the crockpot, let me know in the comments how that goes for you!

You do not have to use the meat…you could totally omit the ground beef and it would still be fantastic. Or you could use shredded chicken or fajita meat instead. You could also add jalapenos if you know your family can handle a bit of a kick 😉

Likewise…you could make this dip MUCH cheaper by using homemade refried beans (recipe coming soon) and homemade taco seasoning.

Cheesy Ground Beef Bean Dip

adapted from AllRecipes

Here’s what you need:

  • 2 cans of beans
  • 1 lb ground beef (cooked)
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 8 oz block of cream cheese (softened)
  • 1 packet taco seasoning
  • 2 cups cheddar cheese
  • 2 cups Mexican cheese mix

Directions:

  1. Mix the sour cream, cream cheese and taco seasoning together.
  2. Add the 2 cans of beans and the cooked meat.
  3. Add 1 cup of each cheese and stir.
  4. Place in a casserole dish and top with remaning cheese
  5. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Serve with chips!

Old Fashioned Easy From Scratch Stuffing Recipe

Easy From Scratch Stuffing Recipe

Looking for an Easy From Scratch Stuffing Recipe? This old fashioned stuffing recipe is full of flavor and can easily be made ahead! This stuffing recipe has REAL bread, tasty sausage and tons of herbs & spices. Whether you stuff your turkey with this stuffing or not, you’ll want to eat a whole bowl of this stuffing recipe!

I love stuffing. I’d eat it year round.

In fact, I do eat the boxed stuff year round! (I love to use it in this chicken and stuffing recipe!)

Once a year though, I pull out this old fashioned from scratch stuffing recipe and I make a huge roasting pan full of it!

It’s SO good…and it has some unexpected ingredients in it!

This Old Fashioned From Scratch Stuffing Recipe might be a lot of work…but it’s soooo worth it.

Do it just once and you’ll have to do it again!

(you also will want to check out my sweet potato casserole recipe AND my mashed potato recipe which is practically award winning!)

Old Fashioned From Scratch Stuffing

Inspired by Paula Dean

Ingredients

  • 2 loaves white bread (I used Pepperidge Farm…it was recommended and it worked well!)
  • 2 cups cooked white rice
  • 1 sleeve crushed saltines
  • 1 pound bulk breakfast sausage
  • 2 cups chopped celery
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 7 cups chicken stock
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried sage leaves
  • 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 1/4 stick butter, melted

Directions:

  1. Tear up your bread into small-ish pieces. It doesn’t have to be perfect! Lay it out on a baking sheet and dry it out in a 250 degree oven. I had to do several batches!
  2. Next, mix together your dried bread, your white rice and saltines.
  3. Cook your breakfast sausage, celery and onions together until the sausage is browned and the celery and onions are translucent.
  4. In a VERY big mixing bowl or pot, stir the sausage mixture into your bread/rice/saltine mixture.
  5. Add chicken stock, salt, pepper, sage, poultry seasoning and stir
  6. Add eggs and butter and stir thoroughly.
  7. Pour stuffing into a large casserole dish and roasting pan that has been greased with butter.**
  8. Cook in a preheated oven (350 degrees) for around 45 minutes.

Enjoy!

** Alternatively, you could stuff this into your turkey! You’ll likely have too much for one bird though, so still expect to bake some of it.

Old Fashioned From Scratch Stuffing
Ingredients
  • 2 loaves white bread (I used Pepperidge Farm…it was recommended and it worked well!)
  • 2 cups cooked white rice
  • 1 sleeve crushed saltines
  • 1 pound bulk breakfast sausage
  • 2 cups chopped celery
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 7 cups chicken stock
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried sage leaves
  • 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 1/4 stick butter, melted
Instructions
  1. Tear up your bread into small-ish pieces. It doesn’t have to be perfect! Lay it out on a baking sheet and dry it out in a 250 degree oven. I had to do several batches!
  2. Next, mix together your dried bread, your white rice and saltines.
  3. Cook your breakfast sausage, celery and onions together until the sausage is browned and the celery and onions are translucent.
  4. In a VERY big mixing bowl or pot, stir the sausage mixture into your bread/rice/saltine mixture.
  5. Add chicken stock, salt, pepper, sage, poultry seasoning and stir
  6. Add eggs and butter and stir thoroughly.
  7. Pour stuffing into a large casserole dish and roasting pan that has been greased with butter.**
  8. Cook in a preheated oven (350 degrees) for around 45 minutes.
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Libby’s Canned Vegetables, just $0.20/can at Dollar General!

Beginning on Sunday through Wednesday (11/18-11/21), you’ll find Libby’s Canned Vegetables for just $0.45/can! That in itself is a bargain! Here’s how you can get the vegetables for $0.20/can:

Buy 4 cans of Libby’s Canned Vegetables at $0.45/can = $1.80
Use $1/4 Libby’s Canned Vegetables Coupon from RP Insert (exp 01/05/2013)
Final Price = $0.80 total or $0.20/can!

*Grab this deal for your Thanksgiving meal or to donate to your local food bank!

Remember you can print these twice by hitting your browser’s back button.

Love the coupon but not sure how to use it? Check out my series on Strategic Shopping!

Also, don’t forget my fully stocked Coupon Database for all your coupon sleuthing needs!

Enjoy!

Thanks Living Through Motherhood!

Rice Krispie Turkey Treats: Gobble Gobble

The other day I was perusing the Rice Krispies website when I saw these cuties.

I got the bright idea that I would try these out (I mean how hard could they be?) so I went grocery shopping and got all the supplies:

  • 6 cups of Rice Krispies (I swear by using the real cereal…generic just doesn’t taste as good to me in Rice Krispie Treats!)
  • 1 bag of marshmallows
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips*
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil*
  • candy corn
  • White candies for eyes (I couldn’t find these so I just bought some white chocolate and cut off chunks)

*In hindsight…I wish I had just used the chocolate bark from Kroger instead of the chocolate chips and vegetable oil! That is what I’d do differently next time. I am sure it would “set” easier.

I waited until after school and the kids and I set to work making the Rice Krispie treats just like normal:

  1. Melt butter (don’t let it brown)
  2. Add marshmallows and stir over low heat until they are all melted
  3. Stir in Rice Krispies until fully incorporated

Next I started dropping the mixture onto my cutting board by big heaping spoonfuls. As it cooled it was a bit easier to shape into balls (next time I make these…I’ll make them into balls and then flatten the bottom so they “sit” better).

Once they had sat for about 10 minutes…I heated up the chocolate chips and vegetable oil in 30 second increments in the microwave until it was all melty. Next time, I’ll use chocolate bark and just melt that by itself.

We dipped the balls into the chocolate coating half of them.

Next we stuck them in the refrigerator until the chocolate was just about set.

I pulled them out and stuck the candies on them to make our turkeys! I also stuck a lollipop stick in them for the kids.

Snapped a quick pic before they gobbled them down!

This was a fun little project for the kids and I…but it was actually a lot more sit and wait then I thought it would be! Still…we had fun and I definitely think we’ll make these again!

 

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